Ute driver hit by 28 shotgun pellets

A rabbit-shooting accident left a man with 28 shotgun pellets in his body, Judge Kevin Phillips was told in the Gore District Court last week.

Jules Regan Newton, 24, a labourer, pleaded guilty to careless use of a shotgun causing injury, on April 25, while he and a friend were rabbit-shooting on a Croydon dairy farm.

The police prosecutor, Sergeant Penny Stratford, said the victim had been driving a ute and Newton was standing on the rear deck. Newton had just taken a shot when the victim took his foot off the accelerator, causing the ute to quickly slow down. Newton lost his balance, falling forward and causing the 12-gauge shotgun to discharge through the cab roof.

The driver ended up with 18 shotgun pellets in his head, eight in his hand and two in his back, Mrs Stratford said.

Newton was remanded to October 5 to enable an application for diversion to be completed. His lawyer, Fiona Guy Kidd, submitted she would be seeking a discharge without conviction if diversion was unsuccessful.

Firearm chargesJason Richard Holland, 24, who presented a gun outside a Gore pub on May 7, received four months' home detention and 200 hours of community work on charges of unlawfully carrying and presenting a firearm.

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Patrons at Traffers had been terrified and armed police were called, the judge said. Holland was sentenced to six months of standard and special conditions, including drug and alcohol assessment and treatment.

InjuredAmanda Claire Williams, 44, a boner, was sentenced to six months' home detention and 100 hours of community work for injuring a man with reckless disregard for the safety of others, on January 28. Judge Phillips said Williams had clearly lost the plot after being asked to leave a party because of her intoxication. She had thrown a large bottle which hit the man in the face and broke his nose. She was ordered to pay emotional harm reparation of $1500 and reparation of $570.

Reckless drivingBenjamin William Hall, 23, received four months' home detention and 100 hours of community work on charges arising from a pursuit around Gore on May 15. Hall had reached speeds of up to 130kmh and, at times, drove with his headlights off.

"You are a menace on the roadway," Judge Phillips said. Hall was also disqualified from driving indefinitely and sentenced to six months of standard and six months of special post-detention conditions.

Eli Samuel David Vincent, 18, a labourer, was convicted of charges from a chase around Gore on August 4. Vincent was remanded to December 7 for sentence for driving with a breath-alcohol level of 498 micrograms, driving while banned, reckless driving, failing to stop for police and being unlawfully in a yard.

He was convicted and remanded to that date on two charges of breaching supervision and breaching community work, in June.

Dangerous drivingTony Sadlier, 17, unemployed, was convicted of dangerous driving, arising from an incident at Invercargill on July 12.

He had tried to overtake a truck on the left side using the cycle lane, lost control of his car and hit a street light before sliding into a cabbage tree.

He was sentenced to 70 hours of community work, disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay reparation of $4518. Sadlier was disqualified from driving for a further six months for driving while disqualified on May 25.

Jail for burglaryCarl James Pickering, 25, was sentenced to 10 months in jail for two burglaries in East Gore, between January 3 and January 15. He took goods worth $1460.

He was sentenced to standard and special release conditions, including completing drug and alcohol assessment and counselling. Pickering was ordered to pay $228 reparation.

Offensive weaponRiki Davis Karetai, 20, a meat worker, was sentenced to 80 hours of community work and fined $300 for having an offensive weapon – a sharpening steel – and fighting in public, in the Longford Tavern car park on August 20.

AssaultKamlesh Shalendra Prasad, 37, a dairy farm worker, of Waiparu, received 50 hours' community work for assaulting his partner on July 29, at Riversdale.

Peter McGregor, 37, of Mataura, was convicted and remanded to November 16 for sentence for assaulting his former partner and possession of cannabis and utensils for the use of cannabis, on July 28.

A 38-year-old shearer was convicted and remanded to October 5 for sentence for assaulting his 13-year-old daughter on June 11.

ShopliftingPhilisea Pomare, 34, received 140 hours of community work for shoplifting from Gore New World on March 1. She must pay $108.58 reparation.

Stole shoesAdam Craig Bovey, 28, a beneficiary, was sentenced to 60 hours' community work for stealing running shoes from Invercargill on August 4. He was ordered to pay $89 reparation.

Cheque stolenTania Marie Peterson, 30, was convicted of stealing a cheque and dishonestly using a document, on June 26 and June 28 respectively, and possession of cannabis on July 12. She will be sentenced on December 7.

Sentence breachesMichelle Tomyleigh Awhina Fowler, 24, was jailed for four months for breaching community work on May 10 and breaching post-detention conditions, on May 13. Judge Phillips said Fowler had prior convictions for breaching community-based sentenced and was a drug addict. Fowler's release date would coincide with a residential drug rehabilitation programme she had been accepted into, he said.

Daniel Williams, 22, was sentenced to four months' community detention for breaching post-detention conditions, on December 16, and breaching community work, on June 20.

Miles William Meikle, 18, of Dipton, was convicted and remanded, in custody, to August 26 in the Invercargill District Court, for sentence on three charges of breaching supervision and breaching community detention, between August 4 and August 15.

Hamish James Popham, 19, was sentenced to 50 hours' community work for breaching supervision on June 24 and community work on June 27.

Jamie-Lee Helen Cruickshank, 19, was sentenced to 60 hours' community work for breaching community detention on July 4.

Vaughan Trevor Wilson, 24, was sentenced to 40 hours' community work for breaching community work on July 9.

CannabisMichael John Peek, 26, was sentenced to six months of supervision for the possession of cannabis and utensils for the use of cannabis, on July 13. He was convicted and remanded to October 27 for sentence for breaching community work on July 14 and July 26.

Fishing licenceJason Campbell Harpur, 30, a labourer, was convicted and sentenced to 120 hours of community work for failing to give a Fish and Game ranger his name at Waikaia on February 18. He was convicted and discharged for fishing without a licence and giving the ranger false information.

Careless drivingBradley John Milligan, 24, a dairy worker, of Tapanui, was convicted and remanded to December 7 for sentence for driving with a breath-alcohol level of 941mcg and careless driving, on July 18 at Tapanui.

Nathan James Stuart, 22, a forestry worker, of Tapanui, was convicted and remanded to November 16 for sentence for driving with a breath-alcohol level of 733mcg and careless driving, on July 24.

Drink-drivingBrendon Joseph Colligan, 40, unemployed, received four months' home detention for driving with a breath-alcohol level of 678mcg, on May 30. He came to police attention when he fell off his motorcycle as he rode from a pub carpark. It was Colligan's fifth drink-driving conviction. The most recent was six years ago. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Ben Oliver Dickson, 26, a fencer, was convicted and remanded in custody to October 26 for sentence for driving with blood-alcohol of 102 milligrams, driving while banned and giving false information to police, on July 2. Judge Phillips said there was no doubt Dickson would be jailed given it was his fifth drink-driving conviction.

Alexander Stuart Jerram, 20, a student, of Otanomomo, was found driving with a breath-alcohol level of 660mcg on August 6. He was sentenced to 120 hours of community work and disqualified for 10 months.

Alex William Latty, 19, a joiner, driving with a breath alcohol level of 638mcg on August 4, was sentenced to 70 hours of community work, disqualified for six months and sentenced to nine months' supervision.

Ayla Jamie Walters, 18, unemployed, driving with a breath alcohol level of 723mcg on July 26, received 75 hours' community work and was disqualified for seven months.